Blockbuster pop-up bar in Los Angeles brings nostalgic tribute to the '90s

Only one actual Blockbuster store, located in Oregon, continues to operate.

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Wednesday, November 30, 2022
Blockbuster-themed bar pops up in Los Angeles
Blockbuster-themed bar pops up in Los AngelesVisiting Los Angeles soon? You can make it a Blockbuster night again - sort of.

LOS ANGELES (WPVI) -- We can once again make it a Blockbuster night.

The iconic video store is back - sort of.

A pop-up bar officially licensed by Blockbuster has opened its doors in Los Angeles off Melrose Avenue.

The bar is expected to bring you back to the 1990s complete with nostalgic VHS-filled aisles.

"Instead of genres, aisles will be sectioned off by different kinds of cocktails and beers. And instead of grainy VHS tapes, you can choose from themed cocktails inspired by popular 90s and 2000s movies," the event's listing reads.

Customers bring their VHS to the checkout counter where one of the Blockbuster bartenders is waiting to make their drink.

Some of the cocktail choices include "Nutty Professor," "Pretty Woman," "Clueless" and "The Matrix."

The menu also features food like popcorn and candy, and drinks like Crystal Pepsi and Tab.

Registration for the pop-up event can be found here.

Admission to the bar starts at $29 per person, which includes one throwback cocktail. Brunch, offered after Dec. 10, costs $55 per person.

At its peak in the 1990s and early 2000s, Blockbuster operated some 9,000 video stores throughout the world.

Competition from Netflix and other new platforms to view movies helped drive the company out of business, and today only one actual Blockbuster store continues to operate in Oregon.

What's left of the company and its trademarks are owned by Dish Network.

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